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Translation (Rita Seng Mai & Keita Kurabe)
I would like to tell you a story that really happened, as told to me by a person who met the spirit of Maitau and the spirit of Ahpyi. A few years ago, from Man Bang village to Maw Hkam Panggai village in Shan State a grandmother and her grandchildren went for a wedding. After the wedding, the grandchildren said they didn't want to stay in the village. "We want to go home," they didn't listen. The grandchildren were so insistent that the grandmother had no choice but to leave. It was getting late, and she was worried about the sun setting. So instead of going back the way they came, they took a shortcut through Mount Auke to their village. By the time when they crossed the river and reached Mount Auke the sun was almost set. They passed by Mount Auke and arrived at the plain of Auke. When they reached there, it wasn't totally dark yet. Further on, it was getting dark. They arrived at a village called Lwinjin Village. As they made their way home through the Lwinjin trail, they found out that no matter how many times they walked, they arrived at the same place again and again. One of the grandchildren noticed and said, "We've lost our way." She remembered that we should bite the edge of longgyi when we are lost. So she bit the edge of longyi. Then they found the right way back home finally. Actually, they faced Maitau, a spirit that makes people get lost their way. From there, they continued on their way. There was also a long, large plain they needed to walk past on the way to their village. As they walked through the plain, it became so dark that they were scared and hurried home. As they hurried along, they looked ahead and they saw the light coming. They were delighted. "It's a man!" "There's a man!" "We can finally see someone!" They rejoiced. But the closer they got, the more lights they saw. It was unusual and they felt scared. But they plucked up their courage and kept going, thinking "Oh, there must be a lot of people." As they were getting nearer, there were more and more lights and they were getting bigger and bigger. Then they knew that it was Ahpyi Nat, a kind of spirit. They returned the way they came as they were so scared. The spirit of Ahpyi is similar to fire. It is a large or small ball of fire. If we lift up our heads to look at these balls of fire they cover over us and we would die. They had heard the story before, so they hurried back. They turned back and crossed the suspension bridge over ravine called Nam Hkai Hka. They ran back to their village. They scared, but managed to return to their village at midnight. Finally, at midnight, they were able to return to their village. Maitau Nat and Ahpyi Nat are the spirits of the Shan people. The Shan people live on one side of the Nam Hkai River. On the other side of the river, there is a village of grandmothers. So they have heard that there was a Shan spirit called Ahpyi Nat. But it was not until they faced the spirit that they realized "Oh, that's Ahpyi Nat!" Thank you very much.
Transcription (Lu Awng)
Maitau nat hte ahpyi nat hkrum ga ai mahkrum hpe bai ginlen dan na re. Moi kalang mi hta, Sam mung Man Bang mare kaw na hto Maw Hkam Panggai ga de hpaw mi dinggai langai mi hte shi kashu ni gaw num hkung ran poi sa ma ai da. Num hkung ran poi ngut ai hte kashu ni gaw dai kaw n kam yup ai majaw kawoi dwi hpe "Nta de wa ga," ngu aput tsun ma ai da. Grai aput tsun yang gaw kawoi dwi gaw mare de wa na matu myit daw dan na mare de woi wa ai da. Shana de jan mung nga wa maga de re majaw kawoi dwi gaw jan du na tsang na Shanhte myi sa wa ai lam hku n wa ai sha Dingtawk lam dan na Auke bum ngu ai hku na garet na mare de woi wa ai da. Dai hku dingtawk lam kaw na hka rap let Auke bum kaw du ai shaloi gaw jan gaw grai nga mat wa ai da. Dai hku jan mung nga mat wa ai hte Auke bum hpe lai na Auke pa de du shang wa ma sai da. Rai tim jan gaw n shang shi ai, dai Auke pa kaw du ai shaloi. Shanhte dai kaw na matut na bai sa wa re shaloi gaw nsin sin ai hte hto shanhte Lwingjin mare ngu ai de bai du ai da. Dai kaw na shanhte Lwing Jin mare kaw na Lwing Jin shalawng hku mare de wa ai shaloi gaw Dai shalawng kaw sha myi lai wa ai lam kaw sha bai nhtang gayin, nhtang gayin rai na lahkawng, masum lang gayin du rai yang gaw dai hpaw mi dinggai na kashu gaw myit dum dat ai da. "Anhte lam dam sai nan re," ngu na myit dum dat ai da. Bai na shi gaw lam dam yang labu matu hpe gawa yang mai ai ngu myit dum ai majaw labu matu hpe gawa dat ai da. Gawa dat ai hte wa lam jaw ai hku na bai lu wa ma ai da. Dai gaw shanhte wa lam kaw Maitau nat hte katut ai majaw wa lam dam mat ai ga rai nga. Dai kaw na shanhte bai matut na mare de wa ai da. Mare de rai n du yang grai galu ai layang pa langai hpe lai di ra ai da. Dai layang pa hpe lai di na wa ai lam hta nsin nau sin, nau htat ai majaw shanhte gaw grai hkrit na lawan lawan wa ma ai da. Dai hku hkrit nga ai ten hta shanhte shawng lam de mada dat ai shaloi gaw wan shatu na lama ma sa wa ai hpe mu ai da. Rai na shanhte gaw grai kabu ai hte "Anhte masha ni rai sai." "Anhte masha ni sa wa ma sai." "Anhte masha ni hte hkrum sana re," ngu na shanhte gaw grai kabu nga ma ai da. Rai tim dai wan gaw ni wa magang law she law wa magang rai na shanhte gaw grai hkrit ma ai da. Rai tim shanhte gaw "Aw, masha grai law na rai na re," ngu na bai matut na hkawm ai da. Shanhte matut na hkawm re shaloi gaw dai wan ni gaw grai kaba na law wa ai majaw shanhte gaw chye dat sai da. "Um ndai gaw Ahpyi nat nan re," ngu na chye dat ai da. Rai na shanhte gaw hkrit na shanhte gaw myi wa ai lam hku na bai nhtang mat ai da. Dai Ahpyi nat ngu ai gaw wan hte bung ai da. Wan gumdin kaji kaba rai na she masha ni dai wan gumdin hpe yu yu rai na ntsa de yu shatsaw dat jang gaw dai wan gumdin gaw masha hpe ka-up kau yang si wa chye ai da. Shanhte gaw dan re ga malai na ga ai majaw hkrit na hprawng nhtang mat ai da. Hprawng na Nam Hkai hka ngu ai hkrai raw kaw na bai rap mat wa na mare de hprawng wa ma ai da. Shanhte gaw hkrit hkrit rai na dai shana tup gaw shakut na mare de yup tung tung tim n lu lu hkra wa ma ai da. Shana yup tung tung ai ten hta gaw shanhte ni atsawm sha rai nna dum nta de bai lu du mat ai da. Tsun dan mayu ai gaw ndai wan shabung Ahpyi gaw Sam ni na nat re ai da. Ndai Nam Hkai hka hto ra hkran de gaw Sam ni nga ai da. Ndai hkran de gaw myi ndai shan woi dwi ni nga ma ai da. Ndai Ahpyit nat ngu ai gaw Sam ni na nat re ai hpe moi kaw na shanhte ni gaw chye ma ai da. Rai ti mung shanhte nan katut sha ga ai shaloi she "Aw, ndai gaw Ahpyi nat nan rai nga ahka," ngu na bai tsun dan ai hpe kalang bai hkai ginlen dan ai lam re law. Chyeju kaba sai.
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https://doi.org/10.15026/0002000090
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